What do you think of this option?
Now that Aaron Rodgers has gotten the hint about the Minnesota Vikings not being interested in his services, reports are surfacing that the purple are looking at another longtime veteran to serve as a backup and mentor to young J.J. McCarthy.
Numerous sources are reporting that the Vikings have reached out to Ryan Tannehill about serving as their backup quarterback this season.
Tannehill is a former top ten draft pick, as the Miami Dolphins selected him at #8 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent his first seven seasons with the Dolphins before being traded to the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2019 season. During that 2019 season, he took over for Marcus Mariota after six games following Mariota getting injured and put together a 7-3 record as a starter, helping to lead the Titans to the AFC Championship Game. He wound up winning the Comeback Player of the Year Award for his performance.
Tannehill last suited up in 2023, going 3-5 in his eight starts that season and eventually giving way to rookie Will Levis. He sat out the 2024 season.
Part of the calculus behind the interest in Tannehill might stem from the fact that he did not play last season. Because of that, he would not count against the Compensatory Pick formula if the Vikings were to sign him. As it stands right now, according to Nick Korte of Over the Cap, the Vikings are looking at a pair of Compensatory Picks in 2026, so the front office might not want to put those picks in jeopardy. Otherwise, they could wait to sign a backup until a couple of weeks after the draft when such signings no longer count as part of the Compensatory formula.
What do you think of the prospect of Ryan Tannehill coming in to be J.J. McCarthy’s backup, folks?